Robert John Hartwell (1810 – 1875) was aBritishradical trade unionist and newspaper editor.

Hartwell worked as acompositor, and in his spare time occasionally wrote newspaper articles. In this role, he took part in the "War of the Unstamped" in the early 1830s. He supported theTolpuddle Martyrs, and was treasurer of the Fund for the Relief of the Dorchester Labourers. He joined theLondon Working Men's Association in 1836, and in 1837 chaired the meeting at which thePeople's Charter was originally proposed. In 1839, he editedThe Charter newspaper, in support of the movement, but he soon left political activity.^[1]

In 1861, Hartwell worked withGeorge Potter to establishThe Bee-Hive, a newspaper which supported trade unionism. The main contributor to the newspaper, he was also its editor from 1863. He also chaired the first meeting of theReform League, in 1865.^[1]

Hartwell announced that he would contestLambeth as an independent workingmen's candidate, but he withdrew before the poll was taken.^[1]

• 1810 births
• 1875 deaths
• Chartists
• English newspaper editors
• English male journalists
• Trade unionists from London

• Use dmy dates from April 2022